Safety device for aeroplanes



J. W. BIBOSH. SAFETY -DEVCE FOR AEROPLANES. APPLICATIONl FILED ocT. 25, |920.

1 A28, 1 3 5. I Patented Sept.A 5, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. y. g o 'o w I .f Y N um I q" I I Il PSX; In

` N\ /l/ /I/ Il (hg c; .mm HW."` ill n' n. *VI nl' v v a) J. I l\\\*\` 4 i i LII \\\\\u gm 'im l fr S//d Vj.

Wsw-Nass Y INveNv-ml 1. W. BIROSH. SAFETY DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES. AAPPLICATION FILED ocT, 25, 1920.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

SHEETS- SHEET 2.

Wav-N Es s Patented Sept. 5, 192.2.

JOHN W. BIROSH, 0F BRWNSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVCE FOR EROPLQTES.

Application vfiled ctober 25, 1920. Serial No. 419,264.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN lll. BrRosH, citizen of the United States, residing at Brownsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices for aeroplanes, and the primary object thereof is to provide a safety device of the character described, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, which will sustain an aeroplane in the air and which is adapted to be used only in case of emergency to prevent accidents should the ordinary sustaining structures and mechanism be damaged or inoperable, and thereby permitting of the safe landing of the aeroplane without injury to the occupants or to the aeroplane.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the class stated, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable and efficient in its use, conveniently operable, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accomplishment of these and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood, that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and wherein lilre numerals of refernce designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane equipped with a safety device in accordance with the invention in the operable position.

TEigure 2 is a front view of an aeroplane illustrating the operating mechanism of the safety device.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of an aeroplane and the safety device, the latter being shown in the collapsed, folded or inoperative position.

Referring in detail to the drawings 1 in-v dicates the fuselage of an aeroplane, of the bi-plane type, andk including the upper plane 2 and the lower plane 3.

Suitably journaled, as at 4, in the supporting standards 5, and extending longitudinally along the vrear edge of the upper plane 2, is a roller 6 having a crank 7 at-y tached to one end thereof for rotating same.

A balloon 8, open at its lower end 9, and adapted to sustain the aeroplane in the air when in the open position, is secured to the Iaeroplane by a plurality of cables or ropes. A rigid rod '10 is secured to and extends along the forward ,lower edge of the balloon in the opening 9. A. plurality of vertically slidable rods 11 are mounted beneath the forward endl of the upper plane 2. Eachy of the rods 11 has its upper end iixedly secured to the rod 10 andis mounted for` vertical movement in a braclret'12 carried by respective struts 13, 14:, 15, and 16. rlhe lower end of each of the rods 11 carries a ring 17 which surrounds the respective struts and permits the vertical movement of said rings on the struts.

Attached to the lower end of each of the rods llis a rope 18 whichfpasses over a sheave 19 mounted in the bracket 12 and carries a weight 2O depending therefrom.

An operating rod 21 having its upper end secured to the longitudinal central portion of the rod 10 extends vertically into the operators pit. The lower end 22 of the rod n 21 is engaged by the latch 23 which latter is operated by the manipulation ofthe lever 24e.

:topes 25 and 26, having their ends con* nected to respective side edges of the upper plane 2, encompass the balloon 8, adjacent vto the forward end thereof, and ropes 27, 28 and 29 having a slip ring connection 30 with the angularly disposed. rods 31, which eX- tend from the top of the fuselage 1 to the rear edge of the lower plane 3, on both sides of the aeroplane, encompass the balloon 8 adjacent to the rear end thereof.

Rope 32, surrounding the balloon 8 approximately at the central portion thereof, has its ends connected to respective ends of the roller 6 and is adapted to wind thereon. Rope 33 having one end thereof connected to the rear lower end of the balloon 8 and the other end to the roller 6 is also adapted to wind on said roller 6i Normally the balloon 8 is in the folded position as shown in Figure 3. By rotating the roller 6 the rear portion of the balloon 8 is wound thereon, while the forward portion of the balloon rests on top of the upper plane rlie extreme forward end of the balloon held securely against the Yforward edge or the upper plane 2 by the action oli the rod 2l which is connected with the rod l() and held in its downward position by the latch element 23. Should the sustaining planes and mechanism oi" the aeroplane not be functioning properly and the operator desires to employ the balloon to sustain the .i zroplane or assist in sustaining the latter in the air, the operator releases the latch ele- ;nent 23 by the manipulation of the lever 24. '.lflie action oi the weights 2O will 'liorce the rods'll upwardly which latter being connected with trie rod l0 will also cause the Vlorward end ol' the balloon to nieve upwardly and expose the opening 9 on the lower side of the balloon to the action of the air currents which Will cause the univinding ol the balance of the balloon 'from the roller bringing same to the open or operative position.

To absorb the shock, vvhen the rod 2l is releasecL and the forward end oli the balloon is thrown upwardly by the action of the weights 20, the upper portions of the struts i3 and 16 carry springs 36 against which the rings 1'? will impact.

lllhen the balloon is in the open position, the rods ll are braced in the vertical position by the brace 3l, one end of Which is pivotally connected to the rod l0, the other end traveling in a horizontally disposed toothed rar-l; mounted on top of the upper plane 9,.

ll/*hat l claim is l. ln a safety device for aeroplanes a nor-- i rthe inally collapsed sustaining element adapted to be arranged at the top ot' the body of the plane, cables lior coupling said element with the body of the plane7 a normally locked retaining element for maintaining said sustaining element collapsed until released and including a longitudinal rod connected to the sustaining element and Ylurtlier including a series ol' vertically movable and counter Weighted rods depending 'from the longitudinal rod whereby the latter is moved upwardly by the vertical rods when the retaining element is released, and means for releasing one ot the vertical rods to cause the release of the retaining element.

ln a safety device for aeroplanes a normally collal sed sustaining element adapted to be arranged at the top of the body oii the ne, means for coupling said element With body oit the plane, a normally locked JOHN lV. BIROSH. 

